Wahlenbergiella mucosa

Wahlenbergiella mucosa is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is a marine species that grows in the littoral zone, and therefore remains immersed in seawater for extended periods. Its photobiont partner is the green alga Paulbroadya petersii.^[2]

Wahlenbergiella mucosa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Eurotiomycetes
Order:	Verrucariales
Family:	Verrucariaceae
Genus:	Wahlenbergiella
Species:	W. mucosa
Binomial name
Wahlenbergiella mucosa (Wahlenb. ex Ach.) Gueidan & Thüs (2009)
Synonyms[1]
Verrucaria mucosa Wahlenb. ex Ach. (1803) Pyrenula maura f. mucosa (Wahlenb. ex Ach.) Flot. (1825) Verrucaria ceuthocarpa * mucosa (Wahlenb. ex Ach.) Nyl. (1861) Verrucaria laetevirens Massee (1892) Thrombium laetevirens A.L.Sm. (1911)

The lichen was first formally described by Swedish lichenologist Erik Acharius as Verrucaria mucosa. The original type specimens were collected by Göran Wahlenberg from northern Europe.^[3] Cécile Gueidan and Holger Thüs transferred the taxon to the newly circumscribed Wahlenbergiella in 2009 following molecular phylogenetic-directed revisions of the family Verrucariaceae; it is the type species of that genus.^[4]

It is one of several marine Verrucariaceae lichens that have been investigated for use as possible bioindicators of coastal water pollution.^[5]

References

1. "Synonymy. Current Name: Wahlenbergiella mucosa (Wahlenb. ex Ach.) Gueidan & Thüs, Taxon 58(1): 200 (2009)". Species Fungorum. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
2. Gasulla, Francisco; Guéra, Alfredo; de los Ríos, Asunción; Pérez-Ortega, Sergio (2019). "Differential responses to salt concentrations of lichen photobiont strains isolated from lichens occurring in different littoral zones". Plant and Fungal Systematics. 64 (2): 149–162. doi:10.2478/pfs-2019-0016. hdl:10261/224522.
3. Acharius, E. (1803). Methodus qua Omnes Detectos Lichenes Secundum Organa Carpomorpha ad Genera, Species et Varietates Redigere atque Observationibus Illustrare Tentavit Erik Acharius (in Latin). Stockholm: F.D.D. Ulrich. p. 23.
4. Gueidan, Cécile; Savić, Sanja; Thüs, Holger; Roux, Claude; Keller, Christine; Tibell, Leif; Prieto, Maria; Heiðmarsson, Starri; Breuss, Othmar; Orange, Alan; Fröberg, Lars; Wynns, Anja Amtoft; Navarro-Rosinés, Pere; Krzewicka, Beata; Pykälä, Juha; Grube, Martin; Lutzoni, François (2009). "Generic classification of the Verrucariaceae (Ascomycota) based on molecular and morphological evidence: recent progress and remaining challenges". Taxon. 58 (1): 184–208. doi:10.1002/tax.581019.
5. Nokes, Liam F.; Haelewaters, Danny; Pfister, Donald H. (2022). "Exploration of marine lichenized fungi as bioindicators of coastal ocean pollution in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area". Rhodora. 122 (992): 251–273. doi:10.3119/20-10.